For their third Callas
re-issue in January 2004, Naxos Historical
has chosen the diva’s first recording
of La Gioconda, re-mastered from the
original Cetra LPs by Ward Marston.
Cetra had contracted Callas to record
three operas before Walter Legge signed
her up to an exclusive contract with
the Columbia (Angel in the USA) label
in July 1952. Cetra in fact recorded
only two operas under their contract,
this Gioconda and La Traviata, both
made in September 1952. It would be
interesting to know if a title was agreed
for the third opera and the reason why
the contract was never fulfilled. Cetra
had built up an enviable, and unequalled,
operatic catalogue at that time, and
aware of Callas’s burgeoning international
career it was unlike them to miss such
an obvious commercial opportunity.

Callas only ever sang
the part of Gioconda thirteen times
on stage. These included her Italian
operatic debut, at Verona in 1947, reprised
with the tenor and conductor of this
recording in 1952. The demanding and
highly complex character of the eponymous
heroine requires just the skills that
the diva evinced in abundance in this
period of her career. She recorded the
part again, with the same conductor,
in 1959. Many Callas cognoscenti contend
that in this later recording, despite
manifest vocal shortcomings, her interpretation
is more vivid than found here. That
is as maybe; I find this first recording,
with her voice fresh and generally even,
some movement between registers in ‘Suicidio’
apart (CD 3 tr. 3), to be preferable.
Her singing is tender, passionate and
fiery, as the interpretation variously
demands, its totality constituting a
formidable portrayal.

La Gioconda is a convoluted
story of passion, intrigue, violence
and ultimately tragedy. It is set in
17th century Venice; a republic
presided over by a Doge and the notorious
‘Council of Ten’. Gioconda, a street
singer with a blind mother, loves Enzo
who does not return her love as he is
in love with Laura, wife of a nobleman
Alvise. Gioconda is lusted over by Barnaba
a spy of ‘The Council’. In revenge at
her spurning his advances, Barnaba has
Gioconda’s blind mother, La Cieca, arrested
accusing her of witchcraft. Laura pleads
La Cieca’s case with her husband and
secures her release. In return, Gioconda
helps Laura and Enzo elope and escapes
Alvise’s revenge by promising herself
to Barnaba. When he comes to claim her
she kills herself.

Yes, La Gioconda is
a work packed with melody and motif.
It is a great help in this recording
that the cast, Callas apart, are native
Italians as are the chorus, reinforcing
their contribution as idiomatic and
involved protagonists. Of the other
soloists Fedora Barbieri as Laura is
outstanding. Destined to succeed the
great Ebe Stignani as the greatest Italian
dramatic mezzo of her generation, Barbieri’s
pure, even and resonant tone has graced
many recordings. Her vocal strengths
are heard to the full in this recording.
The Laura-Gioconda duet, ‘L’amo come
il fugor’ (CD 2 tr. 10), when both declare
their love for Enzio, is a highlight
of the performance. As the lusting Barnaba,
Silveri, much admired in London, is
vivid and characterful with plenty of
colour in his voice (CD 1 TR. 13), whilst
Neri, as Alvise, is dark-toned, slightly
dry and perhaps lacking the sonority
of other interpreters on disc (CD 2
trs. 14-15 and 20-21). Regretfully,
there is a major vocal problem to be
found in the Enzo of Gianni Poggi. His
dry-toned, effortfully phrased ‘Cielo
e mar’ (CD 2 tr. 4) is not a thing of
vocal beauty as conveyed by Bergonzi
and Pavarotti on their recordings or
rendered by Gigli and Björling
on recital discs. He is a dull dog lacking
any semblance of legato as he tries
to re-assure an anxious Gioconda (CD
2 tr. 6).

In my review of the
new
recording issued by EMI in 2003
and featuring Domingo as Enzio I discuss
at some length other recordings of this
opera. However, only Warner-Fonit’s
own re-issue of this performance is
at budget price. Whilst they presumably
had access to the original masters,
I find no great disadvantage.. The sound
here is well balanced with the voices
forward in a clear acoustic although
there is an odd lack of focus (CD 2
trs. 8-9). The balance in favour of
the voices is advantageous when the
orchestra is merely supportive under
Votti’s rather flaccid baton.

The appendix, of three
arias performed by Callas, is particularly
interesting, not least in the sequence
of recording the two bel canto arias
after the Wagner. The demands of the
latter may well account for some lack
of body in Callas’s ‘Casta diva’ (6:30
of CD 3 tr.13). It is certainly not
her best performance of the aria on
disc. Enthusiasts can also compare the
‘Puritani’ aria with that on the Naxos
remastering of her 1953 abridged recording
of the work and reviewed
by me elsewhere on this site.

There is generous tracking
to each disc and an extensive track-related
synopsis as well as artist profiles
and a brief note on Ponchielli and the
composition of Gioconda. Those wanting
to hear Callas in as near pristine voice
as she was ever found on record will
find much interest and enjoyment here.
Pity about the tenor though.

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